In the prior art, free standing refrigerator cabinets are well known. One commercial variety includes a separate food preparation area on the top and is generally useful in pizza, salad and sandwich preparation activities in a commercial/institutional environment. Such units typically provide a refrigerator cabinet with front access doors and a chilled section at the top of the unit in which condiment trays or other such food containers are maintained in a refrigerated environment, yet allow convenient access to the food therein.
The refrigeration system in such a unit includes a conventional compressor, condenser, evaporator and metering device. Typically the refrigeration system is arranged in the cabinet unit so that the evaporator unit, with air circulating fans is included within the refrigeration cabinet, in a central space in the volume thereof, to cool and circulate the air within the cabinet, and to direct refrigerated air to the condiment trays if such a feature is provided in conjunction with the refrigerator cabinet. In this configuration, the compressor and condenser components of the refrigeration system are separately installed at a distance from the evaporator unit and its associated fans within the refrigerator cabinet; lengths of tubing are required to connect together these elements of the refrigeration system.
Disadvantages with this variety of prior art system include the fact that the presence of the evaporator and air circulating fans within the refrigeration area reduces the useful food storage space available within the refrigerator cabinet. Further, multiple supplemental fans may be required for air circulation within the food storage area, and to direct refrigerated air to the condiment trays at the food preparation area on the top of the unit. The tubing connecting to the evaporator unit is subject to acid corrosion by reason of vapors or drippings from food stored such as salad dressing or the like. Also circulating air absorbs food moisture, resulting in a degree of food dehydration; and, the evaporator unit is also subject to condensate build-up, requiring that an electrically heated condensate evaporator or separate condensate drain be provided, adding to overall manufacturing costs and/or increasing the lifetime energy use cost of the refrigerator--as well as presenting possible sanitation problems if regular and careful maintenance and cleaning is not provided.